As much as I LOVE being super positive and empowering, I’d be doing a disservice to everyone who follows me if I left out all the shit that sometimes goes down in business. It’s unrealistic to think that being a business owner is a linear process where everything flows smoothly all the time! I mean, what kind of fantasy world are we living in? We all know the best learning opportunities come during our toughest times. If everything was fine and dandy all the time, we wouldn’t even know it because we’d have no basis of comparison.
So let’s get into September 2020 – the month that broke me down just a smidge. Sooooooo many things challenged me:
1. I went through a total business re-brand (that’s a lot of work!)
2. My assistant moved away.
3. I hired a new assistant and she screwed me around for 3 weeks and then sent in her letter of resignation the day before she was supposed to start.
4. My only process server for my other business moved away to school and quit.
5. My new cell phone crapped out after 2 months.
6. I spent my birthday bawling my eyes out for god only knows why.
7. Several money-making gigs got cancelled because of Covid.
8. And a whole bunch of other shit!
But this isn’t an article about being all “woe is me” – it’s a lesson about how to deal when shit hits the fan. And let me be really transparent for a moment – I’m not impervious to life’s struggles in the least bit. To prove that point, let me share with you this photo of a completely broken me after ugly crying!
Yes, I do that sometimes – not often – but it happens. I’m willing to bet it’s happened to a lot of folks many more times in 2020 than any other year. It’s true that you can only take on so much all at once before the pressure builds to a point where you collapse under the weight. But, you know as well as I do that staying there for long is counterproductive.
There are no solutions found in tear-filled eyes! Solutions come after you pick yourself up and start looking at what’s within your ability to control.
I was watching a re-run of This Is Us the other night where Randall and his daughter discovered they share the trait of anxiety attacks. Randall's wife, Beth, poured them a glass of what looked to be ginger ale and told them to watch the bubbles fizz. Being "in the moment" it was easier to find some calm. That’s a good metaphor for how I handled the chaos that was September. When I was able to bring my attention to the here and now, what was in front of me, I took a deep breath – WOOOOSAHHH – and figured out what actions I could take to somehow make the situation better. I went from moping around to planning mode. I know it sounds cliche, but it's also super helpful to try and around at all your gratitudes too.
No matter how much we think we have it all together, there are things in life and business that will take us out at the knees without a moment's notice. When times get tough or the pressure starts mounting, take a time out, have a little cry if you need, watch the bubbles fizz and then focus on the actions YOU can take that may lead to solutions.